It is located primarily within the Laurel Highlands region of southwestern Pennsylvania, extending into northern West Virginia.
Chestnut Ridge rises in southern Indiana County and continues to the south-southwest for approximately 75 miles.
The ridge crosses Westmoreland County and Fayette County into West Virginia then gradually disappears into a series of hills and finally ends roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) southeast of Morgantown, West Virginia.
The ridge passes near the cities of: Blairsville, Derry, Latrobe, Mt.
Pleasant, Connellsville, and Uniontown in Pennsylvania; and Morgantown in West Virginia.